History of Oia 1800 Luxury Mansion & Greek Restaurant in Santorini Greece Restaurants in Santorini

This luxury mansion was built around 1845 and is somehow interwoven with the history of Oia. At that time Oia, homeland of several shipowners, was flourishing and was developing into the largest commercial port in the Cycladic cluster. The building is a typical Santorinian captain’s house and was inhabited by Captain I. Sarris and his family. It experienced glorious days until 1956, when it was deserted because of an earthquake.

In 1986, the architect-renovator Ioannis Zaggelidis undertook the restoration and renovation of the mansion. When he became acquainted with the style and the unique features of the building, he came up with the idea of converting the mansion into a new, Greek restaurant in Oia, Santorini Greece, which he named “1800”. He is now the proud owner and host of the restaurant.

The tour of the mansion begins from the two living rooms, where distinctive cross vaults can be seen. Most of its original features, such as its colors and its impressive furniture, have been preserved during the renovation: antique Santorinian sofas made of walnut wood, a mirror with a golden-plaster motif, carved curtain rails, a Venetian bed with a hand-painted baldachin and engravings the captain brought from Russia. In the entrance of the mansion you can see the captain’s wooden travel chest, bearing his name “Ioannis Sarris - 1849” carved onto it, reminiscent of the ones sailors used to take on their journeys.

Today, the “1800” Restaurant in Oia (Ia) Santorini is a “living” museum, taking you on a trip back to the past, while offering up-to-date features and comforts, as well as an incomparable panorama of the Santorini Caldera, making it one of the most beloved restaurants in Santorini.